Laundry washing machine color composition analysis during loading

Abstract

A laundry washing machine and method automate the selection of various operational settings for a wash cycle based in part on color composition data collected from a load of articles using a color detection sensor. In some instances, the capture of color composition data is triggered by detected weight changes sensed by a weight sensor as the load of articles is added to a wash tub, and is based in part on the detection of a stable weight in the wash tub for at least a predetermined duration. In addition, in some instances, color compensation data may be used to characterize a load of articles based in part on a color decision algorithm that assigns pixels in the color compensation data to different color categories.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A laundry washing machine, comprising:
 a wash tub disposed within a housing; 
 a color detection sensor positioned to capture color composition data of a load of articles as the load of articles is added to the wash tub; 
 a weight sensor operatively coupled to the wash tub to sense a weight of the load of articles as the load of articles is added to the wash tub; and 
 a controller coupled to the color detection sensor and the weight sensor and configured to initiate a plurality of color composition data captures with the color detection sensor responsive to detected weight changes sensed by the weight sensor as the load of articles is added to the wash tub, the controller configured to initiate each color composition data capture in response at least in part to the weight sensor detecting a stable weight in the wash tub for at least a predetermined duration, wherein the predetermined duration is selected to optimize color composition data capture based upon how users add articles to a wash tub; 
 wherein the controller is further configured to set one or more operational settings for a wash cycle based upon the plurality of color composition data captures. 
 
     
     
       2. The laundry washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of color composition data captures includes a first color composition data capture performed before a second color composition data capture, and wherein the controller is configured to, for the second color composition data capture, detect the stable weight for at least the predetermined duration by determining that a weight change sensed by the weight sensor during the predetermined duration is less than a stability weight constant. 
     
     
       3. The laundry washing machine of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to, for the second color composition data capture, detect the stable weight for at least the predetermined duration by starting a stability timer when a weight change detected subsequent to the first composition data capture is greater than an article addition weight constant. 
     
     
       4. The laundry washing machine of  claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to, for the second color composition data capture, store a stability weight in connection with starting the stability timer, and reset the stability timer and update the stability weight if the weight change sensed by the weight sensor during the predetermined duration exceeds the stability weight constant. 
     
     
       5. The laundry washing machine of  claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to, for the second color composition data capture, initiate the second color composition data capture in response to the stability timer reaching the predetermined duration. 
     
     
       6. The laundry washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to detect removal of an article from the wash tub using the weight sensor and delete a color composition data capture in response to detecting removal of the article. 
     
     
       7. The laundry washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to initiate each color composition data capture in response at least in part to detection of image stability in the wash tub. 
     
     
       8. The laundry washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate the plurality of color composition data captures in response to detecting an open door, and to determine that all articles in the load have been added to the wash tub in response to detecting a closed door. 
     
     
       9. The laundry washing machine of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate an additional capture of color composition data after detecting the closed door if a weight sensed by the weight sensor is greater than a predetermined constant. 
     
     
       10. The laundry washing machine of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to initiate a capture of an additional color composition data capture after detecting the closed door in response to detecting that the door has been reopened and that the weight sensor has detected another article added to the wash tub. 
     
     
       11. The laundry washing machine of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to start a sleep timer in response to detecting the open door, to reset the sleep timer in connection with each color composition data capture, to put the laundry washing machine in a sleep state in response to expiration of the sleep timer, and to awaken the laundry washing machine and initiate a color composition data capture in response to detection of a weight change by the weight sensor while the laundry washing machine is in the sleep state. 
     
     
       12. The laundry washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the color detection sensor comprises an image sensor configured to capture a digital image, and wherein the laundry washing machine further comprises a light positioned to illuminate the wash tub during image capture with the image sensor. 
     
     
       13. The laundry washing machine of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to initiate a color decision algorithm to characterize the captured color composition data by assigning each of a plurality of pixels in the captured color composition data to one of a plurality of color categories, and to characterize the load of articles based upon the characterized color composition data, and to set one or more operational settings for a wash cycle based upon the characterization of the load of articles by the color decision algorithm. 
     
     
       14. The laundry washing machine of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate the color decision algorithm by executing at least a portion of the color decision algorithm. 
     
     
       15. The laundry washing machine of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to initiate the color decision algorithm by communicating data from the plurality of color composition data captures to a remote device that executes at least a portion of the color decision algorithm, and wherein the controller is further configured to receive result data associated with the color decision algorithm from the remote device. 
     
     
       16. The laundry washing machine of  claim 13 , wherein the color decision algorithm is configured to assign each of the plurality of pixels in the captured color composition data to one of the plurality of color categories by comparing color data for each pixel against a plurality of thresholds associated with the plurality of color categories. 
     
     
       17. The laundry washing machine of  claim 13 , wherein the color decision algorithm is configured to determine a number of pixels in the captured color composition data that are assigned to each of the plurality of color categories, and to characterize the load of articles based upon the determined numbers of pixels. 
     
     
       18. The laundry washing machine of  claim 17 , wherein the color decision algorithm is configured to characterize the load of articles based upon the determined numbers of pixels by comparing the determined numbers of pixels against thresholds associated with one or more of the plurality of color categories. 
     
     
       19. The laundry washing machine of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of color categories to which the pixels are assigned includes a whites color category, a lights color category, and a darks color category, and wherein the color decision algorithm is configured to characterize the load of articles based upon the determined numbers of pixels by:
 characterizing the load of articles as a whites load in response to a majority of the determined numbers of pixels being assigned to the whites color category and the determined number of pixels assigned to the whites color category meeting a whites threshold; 
 characterizing the load of articles as a lights load in response to a majority of the determined numbers of pixels being assigned to the lights color category and the determined number of pixels assigned to the lights color category meeting a lights threshold; and 
 characterizing the load of articles as a darks load in response to a majority of the determined numbers of pixels being assigned to the darks color category and the determined number of pixels assigned to the darks color category meeting a darks threshold. 
 
     
     
       20. The laundry washing machine of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of color categories further includes a reds color category, and wherein the color decision algorithm is further configured to characterize the load of articles as a reds load in response to the determined number of pixels assigned to the reds color category meeting a reds threshold. 
     
     
       21. A laundry washing machine, comprising:
 a wash tub disposed within a housing; 
 a color detection sensor positioned to capture color composition data of a load of articles as the load of articles is added to the wash tub; 
 a weight sensor operatively coupled to the wash tub to sense a weight of the load of articles as the load of articles is added to the wash tub; and 
 a controller coupled to the color detection sensor and the weight sensor and configured to initiate a plurality of color composition data captures with the color detection sensor responsive to detected weight changes sensed by the weight sensor as the load of articles is added to the wash tub, the controller configured to initiate each color composition data capture in response at least in part to the weight sensor detecting a stable weight in the wash tub for at least a predetermined duration; 
 wherein the controller is further configured to set one or more operational settings for a wash cycle based upon the plurality of color composition data captures; 
 wherein the controller is configured to initiate the plurality of color composition data captures in response to detecting an open door, and to determine that all articles in the load have been added to the wash tub in response to detecting a closed door; 
 wherein the controller is configured to initiate an additional capture of color composition data after detecting the closed door if a weight sensed by the weight sensor is greater than a predetermined constant. 
 
     
     
       22. A laundry washing machine, comprising:
 a wash tub disposed within a housing; 
 a color detection sensor positioned to capture color composition data of a load of articles as the load of articles is added to the wash tub; 
 a weight sensor operatively coupled to the wash tub to sense a weight of the load of articles as the load of articles is added to the wash tub; and 
 a controller coupled to the color detection sensor and the weight sensor and configured to initiate a plurality of color composition data captures with the color detection sensor responsive to detected weight changes sensed by the weight sensor as the load of articles is added to the wash tub, the controller configured to initiate each color composition data capture in response at least in part to the weight sensor detecting a stable weight in the wash tub for at least a predetermined duration; 
 wherein the controller is further configured to set one or more operational settings for a wash cycle based upon the plurality of color composition data captures; 
 wherein the controller is configured to initiate the plurality of color composition data captures in response to detecting an open door, and to determine that all articles in the load have been added to the wash tub in response to detecting a closed door; and 
 wherein the controller is configured to start a sleep timer in response to detecting the open door, to reset the sleep timer in connection with each color composition data capture, to put the laundry washing machine in a sleep state in response to expiration of the sleep timer, and to awaken the laundry washing machine and initiate a color composition data capture in response to detection of a weight change by the weight sensor while the laundry washing machine is in the sleep state.